Mountain Pass
by topazchild
Summary: Arthur struggles to keep Merlin safe as tensions escalate over disputed land and a dangerous illness takes hold in the lower town.
1. Chapter 1

Mountain Pass

Possibly only Sir Leon, who happened to know Arthur rather well, knew how furious the young man was. The visiting Duke of Badbury, brother to the monarch of the kingdom to the north, had just slammed Merlin violently into the wall. The dark-haired young man slid awkwardly to the floor, a whimper of pain escaping him.

"Clumsy Oaf," the duke said. "I suggest you have him beaten. That will teach him to drop the bags of his betters."

"Excellent suggestion," Arthur replied, silkily. "I'll take that under advisement." Arthur's hand strayed of its own volition to the sword at his side. Leon unobtrusively gripped the prince's wrist warningly. He positioned himself between Arthur's sword arm and the duke.

"Summon more servants to carry the duke's bags to the guest chambers," Leon ordered one of the guards. The man nodded and left.

The prince badly wanted to see if Merlin was hurt. Also, he wanted to plunge his sword into the duke's pompous, overfed body. He did neither. The stress of being denied both courses of action left him nearly vibrating with anger and frustration.

"Sire," Leon said, thinking fast. "Allow me to escort the duke to his chambers. You mustn't keep the king waiting."

"What? Oh, of course not. You're right." Arthur nodded to the duke and, turning on his heel, hurried down the long corridor in the other direction. At the first turn he ducked out of sight and waited for Sir Leon to escort the Duke of Badbury and his retinue out of the immediate vicinity. He gave it a couple of minutes then risked a peek around the corner. Merlin was still sitting slumped against the wall, a couple of guards standing uncertainly nearby. The prince sprinted back down the corridor and knelt by his servant. Merlin's head was down but he was conscious. Well, that was something, Arthur thought.

"Merlin?" The servant moved slightly but said nothing.

Oh crap, Arthur thought, he's hurt. The prince gently ran his hand down first one then the other of his servant's arms. "Is anything broken? Do you want me to send for Gaius?"

Merlin didn't answer for a moment, mentally checking out possible injury. "No," he mumbled. "I'll be okay."

Arthur put his hands under Merlin's arms and eased him into a more comfortable sitting position on the floor. The prince then slid down the wall and sat beside him, their shoulders touching, and there Sir Leon found them a short time later. The knight stood for a moment looking down at the pair of them, one blonde, one dark-haired, and smiled. The duke had no idea how close he'd come to dying.

"Think you can stand, Merlin?" Sir Leon asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Leon pulled the warlock to his feet. Arthur stood up also. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Have the knights left yet for the lower town?" the prince asked.

"They should be saddling up now, Sire," the knight replied.

"I'll join you as soon as I see Merlin back to his room."

With a nod, Sir Leon departed.

"I'll come with you," Merlin said. "I'm feeling much better."

"No need. We'll just be distributing surplus bags of grain and jars of cooking oil to the poorer families. Necessary but mundane."

Merlin saw no way Arthur could get into trouble so he left off arguing, forgetting for the moment that the prince and trouble had a natural affinity for each other. The warlock found himself relieved actually; he still felt a little shaken up. "All right. It sounds harmless enough."

"Merlin," Arthur said, with a sigh, "You're my servant, not my bodyguard."

"And yet I've had to save your life repeatedly," Merlin said, under his breath.

"I'm right here. I can hear you." Arthur pulled the warlock's left arm across his shoulder and slipped his own arm around the young man's waist.

"I can walk unaided, Arthur. I don't need help."

"Merlin?"

"Shut up?" Merlin guessed.

"Right."

Gaius was using a pestle and mortar to mash some herbs together when Arthur kicked the door open with one booted foot. The physician looked up, startled, to see the prince seemingly supporting the warlock. Arthur deposited Merlin on a bench. "See to it that Merlin is checked over carefully, Gaius," he said. The prince turned and hurried out.

Gaius and Merlin exchanged looks. "You can fill me in while I check you over," the physician said.

A bit later

"The duke is in Camelot to settle a long-standing dispute with Uther over some territory," Gaius explained. "Uther and the duke's brother, King Radnor, have been squabbling over this land for years. It lies north of here between the two kingdoms. It's in a particularly rugged mountainous region strewn with treacherous cliffs and ravines. This is the first time the two sides have decided to actually sit down together and try to work out a solution amicably.

"What's so valuable about this land?" Merlin asked, not understanding. "A gold mine, maybe?"

"No. Well, not that I know of. Its value lies in a crucial mountain pass. Whoever holds the pass can control and limit access between the two kingdoms."

"Well, that explains a lot," Merlin said. He thought for a moment. "But why didn't the king come himself instead of sending his brother?"

"I don't know," Gaius replied. "Busy with affairs of state, I suppose."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

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Chapter Two

The day was usually cold for late November, with a light snow falling. Though wearing leather gloves and a great coat that fell to the tops of his boots, Arthur felt the chill creeping into his bones. He and Percival were standing in the back of a cart tossing bags of grain down to the other knights for distribution. Residents of the lower town were, for the most part, waiting patiently though Arthur knew they were as cold as he was. Several of them were shivering, their breath visible in the late autumn air.

A short distance away, on the opposite side of the cart, was a narrow alley where several rough looking men stood watching. Knights were nobles, they reasoned. Nobles had well-off families who would be willing to pay ransom. Arthur was working with his back mostly to them, otherwise one or two of them would surely have recognized him.

"This is the last bag, Elyan," Percival said, tossing it to the knight. He hopped down and walked over to the other knights, leaving Arthur standing in the cart by himself. The prince stretched and worked out the kinks in his back and neck. Seconds later, Arthur felt himself grabbed roughly from behind and hauled over the side of the cart. His startled yelp wasn't heard over the conversations and laughter of the knights and the few residents still in the square. The sole witness was a blonde-haired little boy with blue-gray eyes. He stood beside his young mother wrapped inside her cape against the chill.

Arthur was dragged struggling down the narrow alley, men on both sides holding down his arms.

"Let go of me! How dare you put your hands on me!" Arthur yelled, furiously. A brutish, foul-smelling man backhanded him. Another grabbed him from behind, one burly arm tightening across the prince's chest, the other holding a wicked-looking knife to his throat. A thin red line appeared on Arthur's neck, seeping blood.

"Hold still if you want to live," the man snarled. A surly-looking man with a scraggly beard produced a rope and began tying the prince's wrists together while the rest of the men held on to him.

"Do you know who I am? My father will see you hanged for this!" Arthur said. Several guffaws followed this announcement, and Arthur was shoved roughly to the ground, although one man, peering closely at the prince, blanched.

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Elyan, looking around, failed to see the prince. "Hey, where's Arthur?" The other knights also looked around, more curious than alarmed. Their leader had a habit of slipping away unnoticed.

"He was here a minute ago," Percival said, unconcerned. The knight felt a tug at his cape and looked down to see the little boy, his mother standing behind him.

"My son wishes to speak to you," she said, shyly.

"Well, hello," Percival said, bending down and smiling at the child. "What's your name?"

"My name is Gage. Bad men took him."

"Took who?" Percival asked, though he already knew the answer. Elyan, standing beside him, also knew.

Gage pointed toward the alley. "The man helping you hand out the bags. He had a long coat and yellow hair."

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"Let him go. He's the king's son," Cedric, the man who had recognized him, warned. The others formed a half circle around their captive as he sat, freezing and furious, in the snow.

"Oh, hell, he's right," Tarrant, the man with the knife, said. "He's seen our faces." He reached down and pulled their struggling captive to his feet, preparing to plunge his knife into Arthur's side.

"No!" Cedric screamed. "Are you mad? The king will kill us!" He grabbed at Tarrant's knife arm, pulling it down. Arthur, temporarily allied with Cedric, fought frantically for his life, kicking and striking the man with bound fists. The other men, feeling the situation spiraling out of their control, started backing off.

"Let it go, Tarrant," one of them growled.

"The hell I will," Tarrant said, defiantly, kicking Arthur savagely to the ground in order to focus on Cedric. Tarrant crouched down, circling the unarmed Cedric, his knife at the ready. He slashed at the air, Cedric jumping back out of range. Just then loud shouts and pounding feet were heard at the end of the alley. The men looked up to see the knights running toward them and self preservation kicked in. All but Tarrant and Cedric ran for their lives.

Tarrant looked at Cedric. "This ain't over," he snarled. He then turned and fled down the alley.

"Don't run," Arthur said, warningly, to Cedric. "My knights will kill you if you do."

Cedric shifted nervously from foot to foot. Both he and Arthur turned and watched the knights approaching. Well, that took long enough, Arthur thought. Elyan and Percival stopped to assist him while Sir Leon grabbed at Cedric. The rest of the knights thundered past them in pursuit.

"Don't hurt him," Arthur said hastily to Sir Leon. "He saved my life."

"Are you injured, Sire?" Elyan asked.

"No. Although there's a good possibility I may freeze to death." Arthur got awkwardly to his knees. Elyan and Percival grabbed him and pulled him the rest of the way to his feet. Percival took hold of the prince's arm and used a knife to cut through the ropes binding him.

"What do you want me to do with him?" Sir Leon asked, indicating Cedric.

"Bring him along. He can spend a few days in the dungeon."


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter Three

Arthur gratefully retreated to the sanctuary of his room. He wondered if he would have time to take a quick nap before joining his father and his guests for dinner. Not that he particularly wanted to join them. If he never saw the Duke of Badbury again, it would be too soon.

Merlin was in his room lining up several pairs of freshly shined boots. "Arthur, you're back. How was your mundane afternoon?"

"You might have the right idea after all, Merlin. Maybe I do need a bodyguard." The warlock turned at that and looked at the prince closely. The latter was disheveled, his blonde hair tousled, his great coat damp and dirty, and - was that blood on his neck?

"Arthur, what happened?" Merlin asked in alarm.

"Some men grabbed me. I think they intended to hold me for ransom."

"The crown prince of Camelot?"

"I don't think they realized who I was. Not at first." The prince waved his hand in the air. "Enough of the questions. Build up the fire a bit." Arthur took off his coat and threw it on the floor. "I'm going to take a nap before dinner. Wake me in an hour." He crawled up on the bed.

"Did you tell your father what happened?" Merlin asked.

"No. Go away."

Merlin added another log to the fire. He then picked up Arthur's coat off the floor and left the room.

An hour later

The dark-haired young man returned to the prince's room to wake him. Arthur was lying on his back sound asleep. Merlin looked at the injury on his neck. The warlock decided he could heal it even with his less than stellar healing skills. The urge to do so was almost overwhelming. That would be really dumb, he told himself. Don't do it. Don't do it.

"_Wel cene hole_," he murmured, his eyes flashing gold. The wound healed immediately. Okay, that just raised stupid to a whole new level. You did _not_ just do that. What do you use for brains? Anything?

Merlin stopped mentally kicking himself long enough to wake the prince. Arthur groaned and sat up. He really did not want to get up. "Do I have to? Really?" he muttered to himself.

Twenty minutes later

Arthur had changed his clothes, and his servant was helping him put on a jacket. The prince started to move his hand to his neck. "Hey, my neck doesn't hurt anymore."

Merlin hastily pushed his hand back down. Arthur looked at him in astonishment. "Did you just knock my hand down?"

"Um, sorry," Merlin said. "I want you to look your best for dinner."

"I don't care what I look like. I don't even want to go to dinner. I was just commenting that -" Arthur started to move his hand toward his neck again. His servant pulled his arm down but less forcibly this time. Merlin looked up, blue eyes into blue eyes.

"Well, stop fidgeting," he said, defensively.

"You are acting even weirder than usual."

Arthur started to walk out of the room and noticed a blank spot on the wall. "Didn't there used to be a mirror there?"

"No."

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Arthur had a few qualms about allowing Merlin to serve him at dinner. He wished later that he had listened to his gut instinct. The duke, along with several nobles who had accompanied him as advisors, was seated and being waited on. Merlin, as usual, was serving the prince. Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Elyan, and a handful of the other knights were standing discreetly near the entrance.

"Your highness," the duke began, addressing King Uther. The king gave him his polite attention. "I wonder if your son has informed you of the incident involving his servant and my unfortunate bags."

Uther glanced at his son then Merlin who was cringing. Before Uther could reply, the prince, making a great show of bored nonchalance, spoke. "I rarely trouble my father with such trivial matters. The incident has been handled, and I consider it closed."

"May I ask _how_ it has been handled?" insisted the duke.

A collective hiss of indrawn breath could be heard around the room. The prince was never a good person to back into a corner. How stupid is this guy? Percival wondered to himself.

"I had him severely beaten," Arthur said. "I'm surprised you didn't notice him limping when he entered the room."

Note to self, Merlin thought, remember to limp when leaving the room.

Everyone in the room who resided in Camelot, including his usually oblivious father, knew the prince was lying. Sir Leon seemed to be having a coughing fit. Elyan helpfully patted him on the back.

"Good," the duke said, satisfied, "the misbehavior of servants should be dealt with immediately. Don't you agree, your highness?"

"Of course," the king said, distractedly. He had been studying his son with a bemused expression on his face. Beneath Arthur's calm exterior, Uther knew his son was simmering with rage. The young man sat there coiled like a rattlesnake. The duke being murdered while dining in the great hall would probably not advance the treaty talks, Uther thought. A change of conversational topics was in order. Perhaps the weather - ?

"Looks like it's shaping up to be an usually cold winter," the king ventured.


	4. Chapter 4

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Chapter Four

The prince, accompanied by one of the guards, walked over to the cell where Cedric was being held. The guard unlocked the door and Arthur entered. He nodded a dismissal to the guard who looked alarmed at leaving the prince alone with the prisoner. Cedric was a solidly built, powerful-looking man with a week's worth of stubble.

"It's all right," the prince said, "if the man wanted to kill me, he had ample opportunity to do so yesterday."

The guard nodded and went back to his post. Cedric started to rise from the straw he was sitting on. Arthur waved him back down. "Cedric, is it?"

The man nodded, awed in spite of himself. Arthur, dressed from head to toe befitting his rank, looked exactly what he was: the imperial heir to the throne. Even more intimidating was the mingled air of power and destiny that bathed the prince like an aura.

"So, Cedric," the prince began, "You're a bit of a puzzle." Cedric shifted his position uneasily. "You and your fellows grab me from behind, drag me down an alley, punch and kick me - " Here the prisoner shook his head vigorously. "Put your hands on my person," Arthur continued, some anger breaking through the cool surface in spite of himself. He paused for a moment. "But - you saved my life at great risk to your own. To my mind, that cancels out - some - of what came before. But not quite all."

Uh, oh, Cedric thought, wait for it.

"Tell me, what skills and talents do you have to offer a prince?" Cedric looked up, surprised. Whatever he had been expecting, that was not it. He looked at the young man, uncertain how to respond.

"Well?" Arthur said, impatiently.

"Anything you need, Sire." That should cover it, he thought.

"Anything?" Arthur smiled. "You, Cedric, are a valuable man. I have a job of a rather delicate nature."

"I'll do it," Cedric said, promptly.

"Such eagerness," the prince said. "Let me outline it for you. I'll go into more detail later. My father, the king, is hosting some high ranking nobles from another kingdom. Never mind why they're here. My man servant, who - " long pause from Arthur - "has become a friend, managed to incur anger and unwanted attention from one of them. What I need is for someone - you - to shadow my servant from a distance. Let me know immediately if he seems in further danger from my father's - guests."

"I can do that," Cedric agreed.

"In exchange, I'll overlook your part in the, uh, unfortunate incident from yesterday."

"Yes, agreed, I'll do it," Cedric said again, relieved.

"Good. I'll tell my knights not to interfere with you."

Later

Arthur waited until Merlin was out walking the dogs then summoned Elyan to his chambers. The latter was not happy to put it mildly to find Cedric there. Arthur smoothed things over and told him what he needed. Elyan was to show Cedric areas of the castle likely to be frequently by Merlin. He was also to show him the stables and the most likely places to find the servant walking the dogs. (This last at a later time.) Lastly, he was also to show him a seldom used room where he was to report to Elyan or the prince at predesignated times.

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Gaius and Merlin stood in front of the desk belonging to Geoffrey of Monmouth. The latter had his head down writing.

"Still busy with your book, I see," the physician said.

Geoffrey looked up. "Yes, quite busy."

"What king are you up to now?" Gaius asked.

"I just finished a lengthy chapter on King Constantine. I'm about to start writing on his son, Aurelius Ambrosias."

"He was Uther's older brother, Arthur's uncle," Gaius said to Merlin. "He lies buried inside the Giants' Ring." He turned back to Geoffrey. "Have you thought of a title yet?"

"Yes." The librarian cleared his throat and paused for effect. "I have decided to call it _Historia Regum Britanniae_," he said, a bit grandly.

"Will Arthur be in your book?" Merlin asked.

"There'll be a brief mention, certainly," Geoffrey replied.

In the hallway, Cedric risked a quick peek into the room. Merlin was with the older man who Arthur had explained was his guardian. No danger there. The three of them were discussing some book. Cedric was starting to lose interest.

"I'll be showing Merlin some maps," Gaius explained. "We're particularly interested in the mountainous region to the north."

"Ah, yes, the entry to King Radnor's kingdom," Geoffrey replied.

On the verge of leaving, Cedric's ears perked up. King Radnor? Wasn't that the Duke of Badbury's brother? This sounded like the sort of thing that the prince would be interested in. While he was standing there, Percival and Elyan walked into the corridor and saw him. Neither one of them liked it, not trusting the man, but Arthur had spread the word to the knights not to interfere.

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Arthur was sitting beside his father as one of the court advisors was discussing a petition before the court. He thought it had something to do with sheep. He wasn't listening. When the man mercifully finished speaking, Uther signaled a brief recess.

"Father, I thought you would be meeting with the Duke of Badbury this morning," Arthur remarked.

"As did I," Uther said, irritated. "If I didn't know better, I would say the man was stalling."

"Stalling?"

"He sent an aide to tell me that he and his nobles would be out hunting. He asked if I wished to join them but I declined."

Well, this just keeps getting better and better, Arthur thought, uneasily. Where would Merlin be now? He had already walked the dogs earlier this morning. He had brought them back to his room afterwards. Arthur had not instructed his servant to exercise any of the horses; stable hands usually handled that chore. Gaius wouldn't have sent him outdoors to collect herbs. There was a foot of snow on the ground. The prince tried to reason with himself. Merlin was fine. Yet his unease continued to grow. Finally Arthur excused himself to his father and hurried from the room.

An hour earlier

Merlin sat at the table reading. Gaius held up a small bottle and frowned. He shook it. There was only a small amount of white powder in it.

"Merlin?" the physician said. "I'm afraid I'm going to need some more cinchona bark."

"Now?" Merlin asked, unhappily. "It's freezing outside."

"I know. Sorry, but it's necessary. It's the only thing that's been effective against the fever and chills that has been going around in the lower town. It's fatal if left untreated."

The warlock grumbled a bit more, then pulling on a coat, left.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

From the shadows, Cedric watched the dark-haired servant hurry down the corridor. He was pulling on a pair of gloves. Cedric followed him silently out of the castle and held back for a few minutes as Merlin entered the stables. Damn, it was cold, he thought, shuddering. Why on earth would the boy be riding out in this weather? He knew Merlin sometimes went out to gather herbs and roots for his guardian, but surely everything would be buried under snow. After a quick glance through the entrance, Cedric soundlessly entered the stable and slid behind some bales of hay.

Merlin looked behind him at the stable doors. He thought for a moment he had heard something. No, nothing. He patted his mare's muzzle and offered her a carrot from the other hand. He considered taking her but decided she wouldn't do well in the deep snow. Arthur's horse, Pyramus, was powerfully built with long legs. A far better choice.

Later

To his relief, Merlin located the cinchona bark easily enough. (He had gotten the previous supply for Gaius also.) He chipped and pulled off enough bark to fill a small bag and placed it in the saddlebag. He walked Pyramus over to a fallen branch and remounted, about to turn toward Camelot, when he felt an arrow fly by his head.

The Duke of Badbury and his hunting party, though dressed warmly in various layers of fur, were fed up with the cold and picking their way through the snow. They had decided to turn back when the duke caught sight of the clumsy servant boy of Prince Arthur's. Oho! They would see some sport now. The duke let loose an arrow to 'flush the game' so to speak. The boy turned a startled face toward him. He then turned the large black horse around and urged him deeper into the woods.

The snow was a great equalizer Merlin found. He couldn't run the black horse without risking injury but neither could they. No one wanted to walk back to Camelot.

Cedric, mounted on a bay he'd saddled himself and some distance off, saw the duke fire an arrow at the boy. Did this guy have a death wish? Merlin was the personal servant of the crown prince. He hung back for awhile, deciding on the best course of action. There wasn't much he could do against an armed hunting party. Moreover, Merlin was the 'home boy,' familiar with the terrain with a powerfully built horse under him. Most likely, he thought inconsequently, one of the horses belonging to the prince. His money was on the kid. He decided to go back and try to find Sir Elyan or Arthur himself.

Elsewhere

Arthur hurried down the castle corridors to Gaius' quarters. The last turn he took at a dead run. He banged open the door and scanned the lower room seeing only the startled physician.

"Where's Merlin?" he demanded, then hurried up the steps into Merlin's tiny room without waiting for an answer. Gaius followed him into the room.

"Arthur, what's wrong?"

The servant's bed was unmade with a large book laying partly hidden under the covers. Gaius recognized the book immediately. It was the book of spells that he himself had given the boy shortly after his arrival. The prince seemed too distracted to notice.

"Where's Merlin?" he repeated.

"I sent him out to get some cinchona bark."

"In this weather?" Arthur said, feeling angry and unreasonable.

"It's needed for the illness that's beginning to run rampant in the lower town. It's the only medicine that's been effective."

"Of course, of course," the prince said, agreeing. "That makes sense. How long has he been gone?"

The two talked for a few moments longer, exchanging information, then Arthur left for his room to grab some warmer clothing. He pulled two more shirts over the one he was wearing then grabbed some gloves and a hooded cloak.

The prince hurried to the stables, joined enroute by Percival and Elyan. "What did Cedric have to say?" he asked the latter.

"He wasn't at the meeting place, Sire. I waited for a while but he didn't show."

"Probably following Merlin," Arthur said. "At least I hope that's what he's doing."

In the stables, the three men looked to see which horses were gone. There were a number of empty stalls. The duke and his hunting party had taken (hopefully) their own horses. "The bay is missing, Arthur," Percival said.

Elyan was standing a short distance away in front of an empty stall. "Arthur?" he said.

Arthur and Percival hurried over to join him. His sleek, black horse was gone. Would Merlin have taken Pyramus? The prince knew his servant had ridden him before. He hoped he had. The black horse was both strong and fast.

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Merlin had had enough of the Duke of Badbury. He considered and discarded various spells in his head as Pyramus picked his way gingerly through the snow and deeper into the woods. An illusion spell, he decided. Something scary. Hmm. He guided the black horse behind a clump of trees.

_Wyvern heofonum_, he said, his eyes flashing gold. Magic shimmered in the icy air as his fingers traced the gray scaly body, the long lizard tail, the leathery bat-like wings, the spikes, and the horns in the sky. He added the long fangs, the red eyes, and the raucous screeching sound. Good. Should he add a second one? No, he could feel the strength draining from his body. Dangerous in this weather.

The duke and his party heard the awful screeching and looked up to see the wyvern swooping down towards them out of the twilight sky. They turned their horses around and hurried as carefully as they could through the deep snow. The wyvern was not real most of them realized, but there was powerful magic abroad in the gathering gloom, and they wanted no part of it.

Merlin was very tired and very cold. He wished he was in his bed in his little room in the castle but wasn't sure he had the energy to make it back. He allowed Pyramus to continue picking his way through swirling snow while he tried to think. He needed shelter and he needed warmth. He had water but no food. Pyramus would be hungry, too. There were caverns near here where the druids lived. He thought they would let him stay for the night.

Elsewhere

Arthur and the two knights had traveled but a few kilometers from Camelot when they saw a rider on a reddish-brown horse with a black mane and tail riding toward them. Cedric. The prince exhaled in relief. Merlin was quite probably on Pyramus. His elation did not last long. Cedric related to the three of them how the duke had fired an arrow at the dark-haired servant, and the whole party had given chase. Arthur said nothing but his brain was busily plotting the duke's imminent demise. Percival, after a glance at Arthur, said, "He wasn't hit?"

"No," replied Cedric, "but they were still after him. Although it was slow going."

"Who would have thought snow would be a good thing?" Elyan said.

An hour earlier

The blonde-haired little boy sat at a table, his dinner untouched. "Come on, eat. Let's go," his mother encouraged him. She walked up beside him and tousled his hair.

"I don't feel very good," Gage said. His mother felt of his forehead and cheeks. The child was burning up with fever. Sudden fear gripped her.

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The duke and his hunting party tore into view. Arthur hastily spoke to his two knights. "If they stop to talk with us, you do the talking." The prince didn't trust himself not to try to kill the duke on the spot, and he needed to find Merlin. The mounted riders did not stop, giving the prince and his three companions sideward glances as they rode past.

Iseldir and several of his druids were waiting outside the caverns when Merlin rode up. The druid chieftain lowered the hood of his robe. "We've been expecting you, Emrys," he said in greeting. "Get down and stay the night with us. We have food and shelter for you and your horse."

"Thank you," Merlin said, gratefully. He dismounted and one of the druids took the reins of his horse.

A bit later, after Merlin finished eating and drinking, Iseldir spoke to him. "There is something we must show you. I will scry it for you." He studied the warlock for a moment; the young man looked drowsy, his eyelids were starting to droop. "But- it can wait until morning," he finished.

Merlin was shown a pallet on the floor with several blankets. He laid down and fell asleep almost immediately. One of the druids brought the warlock's saddlebag in and laid it beside the slumbering figure.

Elsewhere

Arthur and his two knights (Cedric having returned to the castle) followed Pyramus' hoof prints in the snow. There was enough moonlight that it presented little challenge. Once Arthur heard the beat of wings and felt a shadow fall across him. He looked up and saw a peregrine falcon soaring overhead. He followed its progress across the sky until it vanished into the night. Its appearance brought back bittersweet memories of the people he'd lost and the things he couldn't have. He swore to himself that he was getting Merlin back. He wasn't losing anyone else he cared about.

Iseldir and his druids were again waiting outside when the three rode up. "I am looking for my servant," Arthur said.

"We have offered him shelter for the night. He sleeps," Iseldir replied.

"We are grateful but he returns with us to Camelot."

"Tomorrow," Iseldir said.

"Now," Arthur countered, in his highhanded, royal way.

Percival and Elyan exchanged looks. They had seen Arthur in this mood before. He did not react well to his will being thwarted. The prince was perfectly capable of throwing a tantrum a two-year-old would envy. Arthur dismounted and strode purposefully toward the cavern entrance.

Iseldir raised one hand and an invisible barrier erected itself between the prince and the druids and their cave entrance. Arthur walked into it and fell backwards into the snow. Iseldir said nothing but stood placidly waiting. Percival dismounted and went to help the fuming prince to his feet.

"Are you hurt, Sire?" Percival asked.

"No!" Arthur said, jerking his arm free of Percival's grasp.

"We still need the cinchona bark for Gaius," Percival reminded him in lowered tones.

The words were like cold water thrown on his anger. Gaius needed the bark. People were dying.

"All right," Arthur said, taking a deep breath. To Iseldir: "Merlin can stay the night, but we need the bark that I hope he has with him. There is a disease that is sweeping through our kingdom, and this is the only medicine that's been effective."

The druid nodded and raised his hand. The barrier was gone. "If you will wait here," he said, formally.

"May I accompany you?" Arthur asked politely.

Iseldir stood a moment studying the prince. "You won't wake him?"

"No," Arthur said, with a sigh, "I won't wake him."

Moments later, the prince stood beside the pallet, his friend lying asleep at his feet. Merlin was curled on his side, his lashes dark against his cheek. Iseldir watched the prince, seeing the love and concern in his eyes that Arthur was too tired to hide. Interesting, he reflected, the son of Uther Pendragon was friends with the most powerful warlock Albion would ever know.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

A sleepy Arthur stumbled down the corridor carrying a small bag. He was accompanied by a guard with a torch. The prince was debating with himself whether to awaken Gaius or to come back in the morning. He pushed open the door to the darkened room and said "Gaius?" in a lowered voice.

The bed creaked. "Arthur?" said a drowsy voice, then more sharply, "are you injured, Sire?"

"No, keep your bed. I brought you the cinchona bark." Arthur and the guard entered the room, and the bag was deposited on a table.

"Thank you, Sire."

Arthur paused at the door to answer the unspoken question. "He'll be back later today."

"Is he all right?"

"Yes."

Gaius would have liked to have questioned the prince further, but it was late (or early depending on one's viewpoint.)

Arthur was nearly staggering with fatigue when he reached his chambers. He managed to pull his boots off but didn't bother undressing. He crawled into bed and pulled a blanket over himself and, like his servant, fell immediately asleep.

No servant came to wake him in the morning although his father came to check on him mid-morning. The king had been told that his son had been out the better part of the night. Uther ran the back of his fingers down his son's cheek as he slept. Though he rarely showed it, the king loved his son very much.

Later in the morning

Gaius was busy turning the bark into a usable powder. Guinevere was assisting him by using a rolled up sheet of paper as a funnel.

"That's ten bottles we've filled, Gaius," Guinevere said.

"Thank you, Gwen. Let's try to do a few more before your brother gets here."

Elsewhere

"_Geondlihte gesweorc min." _The water swirled in the bowl as Iseldir spoke the words. Merlin stood beside him watching the images come into sharper focus. It was somewhere in the mountains, and men were busily constructing a stone parapet. A heavy gate had already been built in the stone wall.

"This is the disputed pass?" Merlin asked. The druid chieftain nodded.

"Those aren't King Uther's men," the warlock said, certain of it.

"No, they're not," Iseldir said. "You are looking at King Radnor, his builders, and his men. They have been busy for over a month securing the pass and effectively blocking anyone else from using it. Ordinarily, we would not care about a dispute between Uther and a neighboring kingdom, but the goddess is angry. There is an army where she dwells. The animals and people of the forest are prevented from freely moving through the mountains." Pause. "She has shown her displeasure."

Merlin thought for a moment. "The weather?"

"Yes. We are facing an endless winter. There will be no spring and no summer to follow."

The warlock was silent. The implications were unimaginable. Crops, farm animals, people. All would die.

"The barrier must be destroyed," Iseldir said.

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Sir Elyan was sitting idly on his horse as Gaius knocked on a door in the lower town. A distraught-looking young woman answered the door and invited the physician in. She looked familiar, Elyan thought. Where have I seen her before? He couldn't quite place her. A few moments later, a jolt of recognition went through him. The boy! He rapidly dismounted and entered the house without knocking. The woman was holding the little jar of medicine and listening as Gaius gave her instructions. Ignoring the look of surprise the physician gave him, the knight hurried over to the child's bed. The little boy, flushed and feverish, moved restlessly beneath a single blanket.

Gaius saw the look of shock on the knight's face but, out of respect for the child's mother, held off questioning him until they were both outside.

"Do you know the child, Elyan?"

"Yes, yes, he saved Arthur's life a few days ago. Will he be all right?"

"I don't know."

"But you brought him the medicine!" Elyan practically yelled.

"It may not have been in time."

Elsewhere

One of the druids entered the cave. "They're here," he reported.

"Did they bring her?" Iseldir asked.

"Yes," the druid replied, a note of excitement in his voice.

Iseldir indicated that Merlin should join him, and the three of them walked outside. Four elves stood there, three men and a woman. One of the men, with waist-length blonde hair and a quiver of arrows on his back, was holding the reins of a silvery mare. "Emrys," he said, "let me introduce you to Ouranos."

Merlin walked a few steps closer and stopped. The colors and scent of her coat reminded him of a misty rain, and the magic emanating from her was like a physical force. Still, there was something indistinct and unsubstantial about her like a disturbance in the air.

Merlin felt the elves and druids watching him, waiting. He glanced at them. Were they watching his reaction to her or were they waiting for him to discover - what, exactly? He heard a flutter in the air, a movement of the air currents. It was a familiar sound. Where had he heard it before? Eagles, falcons, hawks. It was the sound of wings and of flight. Now that he knew what to look for, he saw them - a pair of gossamer wings. He raised one hand and traced the outline of them in the air. They were faint and shimmery, the colors like the shifting rainbow hues on a soap bubble.

"Ouranos is a Pegasus," the warlock said. The elves and the druids beamed at him as if at a particularly bright student.

"She will carry you where you need to go," said the long-haired elf.

"To the mountain pass?" Merlin guessed.

"Yes," Iseldir said, "you are the one who must destroy the barrier, restore balance to the land, and return the seasons to Albion."

No pressure, Merlin thought.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The warlock was getting acquainted with the Pegasus, talking to her and running his fingers through her silky mane. He was captivated by her, the spellcaster himself ensnared by a spell. It gradually penetrated his preoccupation that Iseldir had said something about Arthur.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"The prince will not be happy," the druid repeated. "He expects you to return immediately to Camelot."

Merlin's hand stilled on the mare's silky coat. "When did you speak with Arthur?" he asked.

"During the night. He came for you," the druid replied.

"He seems to have left without me."

Small smile. "He didn't want to."

Later

Ouranos flew effortlessly through banks of clouds, her opalescent wings riding the air currents. A far cry, Merlin thought, from the terrifying and exhilarating rides on Kilgharrah. As the pair traveled over increasingly rugged terrain, the Pegasus dropped beneath the clouds and touched down onto snowy ground.

King Radnor was on the battlement, pleased with what he was seeing. The structure was well-made and strong, the gate thick and impenetrable. His archers stood at every turret peering down. Nothing short of sorcery was going to bring this structure down, and they all knew how King Uther thought about _that_. He snorted with amusement. Ironic how Uther's prejudice worked to his (Radnor's) advantage.

Suddenly a blast of awesome power struck the wall cratering a jagged hole and sending widening fissures spreading in all directions. A second volley hit the parapet, and large pieces of the wall came crashing down.

The king saw where Merlin stood some distance away and, jabbing the air with his finger, screamed desperately to his men. "Get him! _Get him!"_

A hail of arrows flew toward the warlock. He extended the palm of his hand, and the arrows fell harmlessly to earth. A third blast hit the battlement, and the king, several of his men, and huge jagged chunks of masonry fell crashing to the rocks below. The king lay at the foot of his stone barrier, his neck at an impossible angle. He left no offspring. Merlin had just made his erstwhile tormentor king.

Most of the stone wall was destroyed, but the thick, reinforced gate was still standing. Merlin concentrated all his magic into a final spell. "_Gewican ge stanas!" _

The gate exploded into hundreds of wood and metal fragments. Too late Merlin saw more arrows hurtling toward him. He hastily refocused but two of them got through. One, painful but not serious, skidded along his ribs, tearing his flesh, and soaking his clothing with blood. The other, potentially a kill shot, penetrated his lung, beside his heart. He fell backward into the snow staining it red with his life's blood. Frothy red bubbles appeared on his lips. The pain was excruciating, but he supposed it would end soon. His blue eyes looked into the sky seeing the clouds and the blue patches. He was never going to see his mother again, he thought. Or Gaius. Or Arthur.

He was going to die alone on this mountain.


	8. Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

Part of the rock on the mountainside seemed to waver out of existence. The lynx emerged first from the newly created opening. It was a staggeringly beautiful animal, beige white with dark brown markings. It had a ruff of fur under its neck and tufts of black hair on the tips of its ears. Its eyes were luminescent and golden in color. The woman followed.

She was dressed in a white robe, belted at the waist, and wore her dark hair piled up on her head, a ribbon running through it. Long tendrils of curls fell on her cheeks and neck. Although in appearance she seemed to be in her thirties, there was something incredibly ancient about her. She had dwelt in these mountains time out of mind.

She followed the lynx over to where the boy lay, his life's blood emptying into the earth. "You have done well, Emrys. I am pleased."

Her voice sounded like it was coming from a far away place. She lightly touched the shaft of the arrow. It lifted up and out, intact, of the warlock's chest. He made a gurgling sound of pain. The woman knelt beside him, her fingers intertwining with his. The warmth from her touch spread from the boy's fingertips through his body, healing the broken places. He turned his head, his blue eyes looking into her green ones.

"Gaia," he murmured.

"Yes, little one," she replied.

He felt the earth warming beneath him and grass and plants springing up. The lynx nudged and head-butted him until he sat up. He looked around. The snow was mostly gone. He was sitting in the midst of wildflowers.

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King Uther, increasingly worried (with good reason) that his son was going to murder one of the castle guests, had had the loudly protesting young man confined to his chambers. Not quite trusting the knights, whom he knew to be fiercely loyal to Arthur, he had assigned two of the castle guards to stand beside the locked door. In any event, it would not be for long. The Duke of Badbury (now king though he had yet to learn of it) had returned from his hunting trip babbling about dark magic and flying monsters. (Really, Uther thought, he had been far too generous with the castle's stock of wine.)

The weather was warming up, the servants of the duke and his party were hastily packing up their things, and the medicine Gaius was using seemed to be effective. All in all, Uther thought, things were looking better than they had in days.

The one thing left troubling him was why had the duke come to Camelot at all? It was increasingly obvious it was not to settle any land dispute. Things weren't adding up. Perhaps a patrol to the area in question - ?

Several hours earlier

Merlin returned Ouranos (with great reluctance) to the elves and reclaimed Pyramus from the druids. The weather was warming rapidly on the ride back, resulting in slush, rivulets of water, and mud. The mud spattered both his and the horse's legs. The mud he could explain. The blood on his clothing - not so much. He swiped his hand down his coat, his eyes flashing gold. The blood was gone. He left the mud on his pants and shoes, thinking it would look odd if he _wasn't_ spattered. He had been gone the better part of two days. He knew Arthur would pay close attention to his appearance to see if he was all right. As he rode through the forest, his hand frequently felt of the ribs on his left side. There was no residual pain, probably not even a bruise.

From an emotional standpoint, however, Merlin fared less well. He badly wanted comforting from Gaius, and he wanted to be able to tell Arthur everything. The former he could probably get, the latter, not a chance. Even if Arthur didn't have him killed, the trust between them, and what there was of friendship, would be shattered. Having to keep secret his true self, he reflected bitterly, was sometimes close to intolerable.

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Arthur had run out of things to break and was leaning moodily against the wall staring out the window, when Uther ordered him freed. He wasted no time getting out of there. He had to find Merlin, make sure he was safe, and then check Gaius' progress with the medicine. He knew Elyan and Percival had been accompanying him at various times into the lower town.

His first stop was Gaius' room. The physician wasn't there. He hurried up the steps into Merlin's little room on the odd chance he had returned while his father had had him confined. No. Arthur yelled in frustration. He started to reenter the corridor, nearly colliding with Cedric.

The prince jumped back and stumbled slightly. Cedric grabbed at his arm to steady him. In so doing, he glanced at Arthur's neck. There was no wound. He frowned, perplexed. He had seen Tarrant cut him, had watched the blood drip down his neck. It couldn't have healed that fast.

"Well," Arthur demanded, impatiently, "do you have something to report?"

"Er, yes," Cedric replied, "your servant is back. He just rode in."

The prince felt a sudden rush of happiness. He brushed past Cedric and hurried down the corridor.

One of the stable hands was walking away with Pyramus when Arthur entered the stables. "Merlin, you're back," he said.

He grabbed his servant's arm and held him at arm's length while he examined him carefully from head to toe. "You're not hurt?"

"No, I'm all right," Merlin said. He couldn't tell the prince that he'd nearly died.

Arthur pulled Merlin close in a quick hug.

Cedric stood at the stable entrance some distance away watching. He was still puzzled. Who would dare to use magic on the son of Uther Pendragon? He eyed the slender servant speculatively. Perhaps the prince was better protected than he knew.

"I need to meet with some of my knights and check on their progress. They've been helping Gaius distribute medicine." Arthur paused, shifted a bit uncomfortably. "I've been unavoidably detained."

Merlin correctly interpreted that as locked in his room.

"Uh, you might want to be careful when you go in my room," Arthur said. "Some stuff got broken."

Several days later

Sir Elyan knocked on the door, a look of apprehension on his face. When the woman answered, he relaxed; she did not look grief stricken.

"Arthur?" he said over his shoulder to the man standing a little behind him. The prince moved into view, a carved wooden horse in his hand.

"May I meet your son?"

She bobbed a quick curtsy. "Yes, highness, come in."

The boy was sitting up in his bed, looking weak and pale but on the mend. Arthur handed him the horse and very carefully picked up the child, blanket and all. Looking around the room, he saw a chair and walking over to it, sat down with the child. He hugged Gage gently against his chest, his eyes moist.

"Thank you." Freeing one of his hands, he brushed the boy's blonde hair off to one side of his forehead.

"You're going to be king," Gage said.

"Someday," Arthur whispered.

The End

**a/n: Ouranos is Greek for sky.**


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